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Republic of Bikka
}} |common_name = Bikka |image_flag = bikka.png |image_coat = |symbol_type = |image_map = bikkamap.png |map_caption = Area controlled by the Republic of Bikka in dark green Area officially claimed in light green |image_map2 = |map_caption2 = |capital = Sakkiokaalaa |largest_city = Capital |largest_settlement = |largest_settlement_type = Largest City |ethnic_groups = 100% Bikkan |demonym = Bikkan |government_type = Parliamentary Republic |leader_title1 = High Minister |leader_name1 = Eraaxhikke Shaxhuu |area_sq_mi = 9,113 |area_rank = 165th |population_estimate = 1,700,000 |population_estimate_rank = 127th |population_density_sq_mi = 186 |population_density_rank = 5th |sovereignty_type =Important Dates |established_event1 = |established_year1 = |established_event2 =Foundation of the Kingdom of Bikka |established_date2 =c. 1100 BU |established_event3 =Bikkan Revolution |established_date3 =269 AU|area_km2 = 23,603|population_density_km2 = 72|currency = Bikkan Xethooxh}}The Republic of Bikka '''(Bikkan: ''Bikkä nho Wëarimaä ''IPA: n̥o 'wʲærɪmɑ:), more commonly referred to as '''Bikka is an island nation off the west coast of Rathnaes. The country consists primarily of the island of Bikka itself, as well as a handful of minor outlying islands. The Republic of Bikka lays claim to the territory of the former Kingdom of Bikka, though most of it is under the control of Bikka-Laimiek. The Republic of Bikka does not recognize the government of Bikka-Laimiek as legitimate. It also claims Southeast Bikka in Kereske, and the former province of Rajhaaynie, which was lost to Wal-Pei. Bikka is located south of Demitu and Mesemyu, west of Kereske, and north of Bikka-Laimiek. Bikka was once the center of a massive, powerful empire and has a history stretching back nearly 3000 years. Despite the country's small size, it is very densely populated and boasts some of the best living conditions in the world, as well as the second-highest literacy rate, behind only Mecezu. History Vanya Empire For the main article, see Vanya Empire The Vanya Empire (Vanyic: Vañeje Gmüñäj) was one of the earliest major states in the world, first rising to prominence around 5000 BU. In those days, the sea level was much lower, and the Sea of Bikka and Sea of Ithqol were one great inland sea, with no outlet to the ocean. The Vanyans had a massive trade empire, and they were notable for having high-quality bronze weapons and constructing large, round hillforts, many of which still exist in Bikka, Demitu, Bikka-Laimiek, and Kereske. Around the year 3000 BU, two events began to occur which drastically affected the strength of the Vanya Empire: the climate began to warm, and sea levels began rising; and speakers of old Bikkan began to migrate from Janavos. The proto-Bikkans began to settle along the mountainous western isthmus of the Vanya Empire. That isthmus, within a few centuries, became a peninsula before further fragmenting into dozens of islands. The seafaring proto-Bikkans took advantage of the rising sea levels and began thriving in the newly-archipelagic landscape. Many petty states began springing up as Vanyan control eroded in the west. Pressure was further applied by migrations of Demitians and Chkolans. The Vanya Wars By the mid-13th Century BU, most Bikkan speaking states had consolidated into three main kingdoms: Bikka, Iiriokaalaa, and Waxhuje. Bikka was the northernmost of these, stretching from Igolezmid in the north to Xhakkab in the south. Vanya had hit a cultural and political nadir. In 1202 BU, Emperor Mñamju Iijar of Vanya decided to make a concerted war effort to save his faltering state, launching a naval attack against the Arm of Bikka and laying siege to the city of Xhakkab. The war was brief—lasting less than two years and ending in an embarrassing defeat for the Vanya Empire. The Second Vanya War followed in 1177 BU. This was a more even war that dragged on for nearly a decade and ended in the seizure of much of the northern coast of Zalaym, though the Axhaabikka Archipelago remained in Vanyan hands. In the intervening years, Chkolans and proto-Baxthoi began chipping away at the eastern edge of Vanya, driving them further and further south, toward what is now Southeast Bikka. The Third Vanya War broke out in 1090 BU and was fought over Bikka-Laimweriek. Land changed hands numerous times between Vanya, Aktimuy, and Bikka. Vanya, by this point, was a weak shell of a state, limited to the Axhaabikka Islands at the mouth of The Gash. To both the north and south, Bikkan states surrounded Vanya, and the Fourth Vanya War, which lasted from 1010-1007 BU was not so much a war as a slaughter. The Bikkan armies suffered only minimal losses, and Vanya forces often broke quickly to retreat. Nearly 4000 years of Vanya dominance over the Sea of Bikka came to an end when Emperor Añanaja VI Vuhalœs was killed in battle outside the gates of the capital city of Yaveñek. After the battle, Yaveñek was renamed Axhaabikka (Äẋaäbikkä, ɑ'ɧɑ:bɪk:ɑ lit. “New Bikka”), and the Empire of Vanya was officially disbanded. Classical Vanya continues to be used as a lingua franca in its former territory, particularly between Bikkans and Emaluki peoples, between Kereski and Baxthoi, and in academic or religious contexts. Kingdom of Bikka Bikkan Unification With the fall of Yaveñek, the era of Vanya dominance came to an ignominious end. No one state filled the void left by the rapid descent of the Vanya, though use of the Vanya language fell out of use rapidly by most people. Though the Vanya Wars had largely been carried out by one Bikkan state, the Bikkan peoples were far from unified. The Kingdom of Bikka stretched from Demitu to Axhaabikka to Xhakkab, but much of the Bikkan Archipelago was under the rule of the lesser Kingdom of Waxhuje, and the Holy and Blessed Kingdom of Iiriokaalaa was a major power in the southwest, though it often also bowed before the political will of Crozdig. The Kingdom of Bikka, based on the eponymous island, set its sights on the lands to its south. Shortly after a major war fleet set off from Sakkiokaalaa, an invasion of Demitu was launched from the mainland by the Kingdom of Xlaccavia. Initially, the northern cape of the island was seized. The Bikkan king did not want his army pulled in two directions. He offered very minor assistance to the Bikkan Demitians, but by the time he realized that the influx of mainlanders was greater than expected, it was too late, and most of the island had been lost. Undeterred by the loss of Demitu, Sakkiokaalaa kept its eyes focused southward, island-hopping and slowly chipping away at Waxhuje. In 880, roughly forty years after the initial expansion southward had begun, an accord was struck between Bikka and Waxhuje. The lesser islands of the Bikkan Archipelago would be granted broad autonomy and allowed to keep their king, provided that he pledge his loyalty ultimately to Sakkiokaalaa. The Kingdom of Iiriokaalaa, a theocratic state run by priest-kings controlled the entire island of (what is today called) Bikka-Laimwurxhiek, as well as the northwestern coast of Zalaym. Though Iiriokaalaa was much larger than Waxhuje, its economy was also much less-developed, and its lands were far less densely populated. Beginning in 832 BU, Bikka gradually began pushing southward, chipping away at Iiriokaalaa’s territory. Iiriokaalaa did its best to push back against the incursion, but in 826, Bikkan forces laid siege to the capital city, eventually burning much of it to the ground. Expansion into Zalaym By the year 800 BU, Bikkan influence stretched from the island of Bikka to the Axhaabikka Archipelago to the mouth of the Ambanwa River (Bikkan: Abaäwä, Crozdigian: Ambagva, Valpen: Ąbąwa), but much inland territory remained unexplored. Expeditions down the Xhakkab River were sent intermittently, and settlements were gradually expanded in the interior, north of the Ambanwa. In the mid-700s BU, the Bikkan areas in southwestern Rathnaes, Axhaabikka, and the section of Zalaym directly south of Axhaabikka gradually began isolating themselves from the rest of Bikka, eventually declaring themselves the Free Bikkan Kingdom. Sakkiokaalaa took little notice of it, though, with the government’s main focus being southward and eastward expansion. When Kereske invaded the Free Bikkan Kingdom, Sakkiokaalaa finally sent warships to attempt to recapture the area, only to have much of the fleet destroyed by a powerful storm. Bikka continued to exercise a claim over Laimweriek until 202 BU, when Kereske finally paid Bikka off to officially cede them the land. (Though this was rescinded after the Revolution in 269 AU.) In 603 BU, Bikkan traders made contact with the major Isizbiji city of Ajhaa-Ajhaa (Bikkkan: Ajhaä-Ajhaä, Isizbiji: Ażā Ażā̀). Ajhaa-Ajhaa sits in a natural gateway to the Emaluk Basin, nestled between two high ridges of densely-forested hills. The Ajhaai did not trust the Bikkan explorers and denied them trade. They were sheltered and resupplied in the city for a few days before being sent back the way they came. Upon the explorers’ return to a major Bikkan settlement, they relayed their experience to the regional lord, who then relayed the message to the Bikkan King’s Representative in Xhakkab. After some consideration, the king ordered a military contingent to force the Ajhaai to open up trade. The contingent was handily thrown back, being ill-suited to deal with guerrilla warfare in dense jungles. The Ajhaai's use of poisoned arrows further demoralized Bikkan armies. The following decades saw this pattern repeated numerous times, with each successive attack on Ajhaa-Ajhaa a bit more successful, until a treaty was finally struck in 529 BU, which granted the Bikkans full rights to use the Ajhaai path to Emaluk. Crozdigian Wars In 520, though, the Bikkan military attempted to take the city of Ambanwa, on the south side of the mouth of the River of the same name. The Ambanwa River had served as the de facto border between Bikka and Crozdig for centuries, and this sudden and unexpected breach triggered the First Crozdigian War. Crozdig's response was swift and effective, capturing large swathes of land in southern Bikka within the first year. Then for nearly two decades, the conflict froze, with only sporadic military clashes. Finally, in 500 BU, major fighting broke out once again at the mouth of the Ambanwa River. The north side was retaken by Bikka, though Ambanwa on the south side remained in Crozdigian hands. A treaty was struck in 499 BU which led to all land within 20 miles of the river that was formerly Bikkan, starting 20 miles inland, being transferred to Crozdig. Wars would flare up periodically with Crozdig, often with the result being similar to the status quo ante bellum. They often followed the pattern of drawn-out, low-intensity fighting. The Second Crozdigian War lasted over two decades, 368-344. The Third Crozdigian War was a briefer affair, in which the Ambanwa River was reestablished as the border; it was a shorter war (though still long), lasting eight years from 285-277 BU. The Fourth Crozdigian War was a war of Crozdigian aggression, in which Crozdigians from Wal-Pei struck northward, laying siege to the city of Ajhaa-Ajhaa in 202, essentially paralyzing Bikkan expansion into the Emaluk Basin. Ajhaa-Ajhaa remained in Crozdigian hands for 21 years, until the year 181. Even after that, it was another two years until Crozdigian forces were fully expelled from the country. Nearly a century of peace (or at least a lack of war) followed. In 81 BU, the Bikkan king died suddenly, leaving the issue of succession ambiguous. Supporters were split roughly into two camps: supporters of Xhaxeel, a moderate cousin of the late king; and supporters of Shathwaaj, a religiously-zealous uncle with close ties to Iiriokaalaa. Sensing weakness, Crozdig once again struck out for Ajhaa-Ajhaa. Both claimants to the throne reacted in different manners, with regional lords being split roughly evenly in their loyalties. Xhaxeel ordered his supporters to reinforce Ajhaa-Ajhaa, while Shathwaaj ordered attacks on Ambanwa and the Crozdigian Archipelago itself. The divided forces were hardly as effective as a united army could have been, but Ajhaa-Ajhaa was liberated fairly quickly, as many Crozdigian forces were recalled quickly, due to the unexpected attack on Crozdig itself. Armies ping-ponged back and forth all over Crozdig, Crozdigian Wal-Pei, and Bikka, making this war extremely taxing in terms of resources. Xhaxeel and Shathwaaj eventually came to an agreement. They effectively ruled as co-kings, with Xhaxeel agreeing to marry Shathwaaj’s oldest daughter. A treaty was eventually negotiated by Xhaxeel in 59 that once again returned territories to the status quo ante bellum. Relations began to rapidly deteriorate between Crozdig and Bikka beginning around 15 BU. In 1 BU, Bikka invaded the east coast of the Valpen Peninsula. The Crozdigian response was sluggish, and a huge swathe of territory was lost, with the Sixth Crozdigian War concluding in in 7 AU. The Sixth Crozdigian War was the beginning of a rapid decline in the power and prestige of Crozdig, eventually resulting in the loss of the Fe'eme in 10 AU, the tip of the Haxro Peninsula in 13 AU, and the Valpen Peninsula in bits and pieces from 22-101 AU. Second Wave of Zalaymi Expansion With the ascendency of Mesemyu to Bikka’s north, a great deal of trade opened up, and Bikka was able to grow wealthy. Good relations with Mesemyu continued until 172 AU, when Emperor Eliz II was overthrown. Eliz fled to Bikka and stayed there for a short period before again taking flight to the more distant Confederation of Manyuu Cities. Harboring Eliz infuriated his successor, Hagajoya I, so much so that he ceased all trade with Bikka. Both the Mesman and Bikkan economies began hurting from this. Needing a new source of income, King Yootuhe III ordered a continuation of exploration into Emaluk, which had been halted for nearly 400 years. This greatly incensed the Tlyk Kingdom, which controlled most of the Emaluki Basin, as they felt that Bikka was encroaching on territory that was rightfully theirs. Four brief wars occurred in 188-190, 199-200, 206-210, and 235-239 over territory in Emaluk. (The Mesman embargo had ended in 197). The wars mostly dealt with land near the Kereski border, as much of the interior was too densely-forested to effectively demarcate borders. The Tlyk Kingdom wound up losing most of its Kereski border. The length of the border with Dzvigir was lost, as well as most of its border with Thiusu. With the conclusion of the Fourth Tlyk war, expansion into Emaluk was effectively done. Though the Tlyk wars were mostly about control of Emaluk, Bikka did lose a small amount of its southern coastline, which forced more of Bikka’s naval and commercial efforts to the Valpen region of its coast. Many native Valpens, fearing Bikkan domination of all spheres, began revolting in 250, lighting fires to major shipyards, and generally wreaking havoc on the coast. With ports unusable, troops needed to be brought overland. The Kingdom of Wal-Pei reached out to the rebelling region, which eagerly accepted its offer of accession. Battles endured until 260, with Bikka losing roughly ¾ of the former Crozdigian Wal-Pei territory that they controlled. Bikkan Revolution Between losing coastal land to Tlek and losing a huge chunk of land to Wal-Pei, the popularity of the ruling family began to plunge. Compounding these troubles, Bikka’s economy was in a severe slump. So much war for so long taxed the country terribly, and most city-dwellers were living in abject poverty. In an attempt to clamp down on dissent, notable critics of the monarchy were made examples of. Descendants of Co-King Shathwaaj began proclaiming their right to the throne. They claimed that the current ruling family had drifted too far from “godly” principles. Their ideas became very popular in southern and western Bikka, including perpetual trouble-spot Bikka-Laimwurxhiek. Meanwhile in the north of the country and in the archipelago, general anti-monarchial sentiments began becoming more prominent. In mid-269, while the royal family were in the summer palace at Sakkiokaalaa, mass revolts began cropping up across the northern coast of the mainland, centered in Xhakkab. Royal executives were captured and publicly executed. The leaders in Xhakkab declared the monarchy abolished, and that the rightful government was now the Republic of Bikka. Simultaneously, in the city of Iiriokaalaa, a descendent of Shathwaaj declared himself king of the Holy and Blessed Kingdom of Bikka. Hoping to capitalize on the disunity of the rebels, King Utheyaahu tried to rally his supporters to lay siege to Iiriokaalaa, which he viewed as a more serious threat. However, very little of the country remained loyal enough to the crown to fight on its behalf. The Republican rebels quickly gained dominance in the archipelago, and within two months of the initial protests in Xhakkab, most of the island of Bikka was under Republican control, with Sakkiokaalaa extremely divided. Near the end of 269, the king attempted to flee the country, only to be captured and jailed. With the archipelago and much of the northern coast firmly under Republican control, supporters of a new king had spread across most of Laimiek and (the settled parts of) Emaluk. Resistance to the new king was strong along the southern coast, and many communities pleaded with the Tlyk Kingdom for protection. For the time being, the extreme south was ignored. The theocrats consistently gained ground, pushing the Republicans further and further north, finally isolating them to Xhakkab, the island of Bikka, and a few minor islets. By the time Mesemyu finally got around to providing material support for the Republicans, Xhakkab had fallen. Eventually a stasis was reached, with the Republicans holding Bikka and a few small islands, and the theocrats controlling the rest of the former Kingdom of Bikka. Post-Revolution At the conclusion of the war, the former King of Bikka was still jailed, though quite frail and in very poor health. He had been kept in a windowless cell in a fortress carved into the side of a mountain. One of the first acts of the newly-elected government in 273 was to put him on trial for “Gross and negligent mismanagement of the state”, among other, comparatively lesser charges. His trial lasted 11 days, and the panel of five judges took less than hour to find him guilty and sentence him to death. As is customary in Bikka, those sentenced to death are given several choices for their execution method, and Utheyaahu selected beheading. After Utheyaahu’s trial, the main focus of the Bikkan Republican government was figuring out the economy. Food needed to be imported from somewhere, as Sakkiokaalaa and its associated sprawl contain more people than the island could produce food for. A long period of weak economic performance followed until the early 300s, when the government decided to follow an economic model more similar to Demitu’s. The focus of the economy shifted to finished products, most notably textiles and glassworks. Since then, the standard of living has skyrocketed, making it one of the most stable and successful nations in the hemisphere. The constitution of the Republic of Bikka does still officially lay claim to the entirety of the former Kingdom of Bikka, while excluding the territories absorbed by Bikka-Laimiek in post-revolutionary wars. Category:Territories of Rorut